Woodland school 'warned'
Special needs students miss educational goal
By James Moate Endeavor News

Woodland Elementary School in Emporium is under an official "warning" by the State Education Department because a group of more than 40 special needs students has failed to meet educational goals spelled out by the federal No Child Left Behind law.

These students, who are subject to individualized education plans, fell short on test scores. The act requires that 54 percent of students tested score at least in the "proficient" range in reading, while at least 45 percent are proficient in mathematics.

At Woodland, the special needs students scored at a 22 percent proficiency rate in reading and 30 percent in math.

A warning is an initial sanction. Schools that fail to meet the standards must take correc- tional steps, or they can face more severe consequences.

Cameron County Area School District administrators said their goal for the current school year is to qualify for the "making progress" category if Woodland is unable to meet the proficiency standards.

Clyde Moate, interim assistant to the acting superintendent, said the district would do everything in its power to increase test scores and meet the program's standards.

Test results for all Pennsylvania public schools can be found on the Education Department's website, pde.state.pa.us.